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Monday, 17 November 2014

Practising mindfulness during the Leonids meteor shower

Tonight I will be practising mindfulness watching the Leonids
meteor shower in my back garden under a warm blanket!

The Leonids meteors can be seen at their
peak around the 16th to the 18th November. They are one
of the most impressive showers to observe, with around 40 meteors per hour at
their peak. This year only a
modest 10-15 have been predicted however. The shower itself has a cyclical peak
year every 33 years where hundreds of meteors can be seen each year, the last
of these was in 2001, lets look forward to 2034 then! Our crescent waning moon is at 25% of her
brightness at the moment so that should make for fairly good viewing of this
impressive meteor shower.

In order to locate the Leonids, look in the
direction of the constellation Leo, the best time is just after midnight. The
brightest object in the sky right now, the planet Jupiter is also near the
radiant point which should make it easier to locate where the meteors will be
originating.

“Here’s
another tip regarding the radiant point. As darkness falls in mid-November, the
radiant point of the shower is below your horizon, as seen from all parts of
Earth. As the Earth turns, the constellation Leo the Lion – carrying the meteor
shower radiant point – will rise over your eastern horizon. Expect to see the
constellation Leo in the east around midnight. That’s why the Leonids begin to
pick up steam after the midnight hour!

Just
remember, you don’t have to locate a meteor shower radiant to watch the meteor
shower.

But if the
radiant isn’t in the sky, you won’t see as many meteors. That means you
should watch the Leonid shower tonight, from late evening (November 17) until
dawn (November 18).

As a
general rule, the higher the meteor shower radiant climbs in your sky, the more
meteors that you’re likely to see. The radiant for the Leonids is highest up
during the dark hour before dawn, offering, perhaps, 10-15 meteors per hour.
The moon may marginally interfere with the show, but not enough to worry about.
You should see at least a sprinkling meteors, if you watch for an hour or so.

What else
can you see on the night of the 2014 Leonids peak? The radiant for the Leonids
is near the star Algieba in Leo. This is not Leo the Lion’s brightest star.
That distinction goes to Leo’s star Regulus.
Watch for both of these stars.

accuweather.com

Both
Algieba and Regulus belong to a noticeable pattern on the sky’s dome, in the
shape of a backwards question mark. This pattern is called “the Sickle.” The
paths of Leonid meteors can be traced backwards to the Sickle pattern, which is
a famous asterism – or noticeable star pattern – within the constellation Leo.”

Watching meteors fly through our night sky can be an intensely spiritual
experience. The wonder of a shooting star is something that stirs a deep
emotion within us. Spending an hour or two watching a shower is a wonderful way
of really practicing a meditative mindfulness, try to really concentrate on the
night sky and empty your mind of all other thoughts. Become completely absorbed
in what is happening in the heavens above you and allow yourself to be almost
transported to that other plane as if you yourself were in amongst the shooting
stars. As you still your mind you will feel it is just you and the night sky and it is a wonderful feeling. Make sure you wrap up warm though and enjoy your wonderful mindful meteors!

About Me

I want this blog to be about you rather than about me but feel free to ask me anything you would like. This blog is about living a healthier happier life by being in touch with the seasons and the wheel of the year and with your inner soul. I am someone who sees the spirit within nature and follows the cycles of the seasons, the moon and the sun. I see all plants, animals, and humans as sacred and divine, believing that there’s a bit of the divine in every corner of the earth. I don't follow one particular doctrine as I believe in religious tolerance and all religions have something to give. I have more information including aspects of Paganism, Angels, Crystal Healing, Chakras, Goddess, Wheel of the Year on my website http://www.astarte-moon.co.uk. I also have a shop selling a range of items including Fair Trade clothing and handmade gemstone accessories Astarte-Moon shop Please feel free to message me or contact me on shop@astarte-moon.co.uk